


What Any Good Neighbor Would Do

by Dreamin



Series: Game of Hearts [1]
Category: Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/M, Gen, mentioned Sandor Clegane/Sansa Stark
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-24
Updated: 2019-04-24
Packaged: 2020-01-25 16:35:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 750
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18578353
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dreamin/pseuds/Dreamin
Summary: Jaime meets his new neighbors and is immediately smitten with one of them.





	What Any Good Neighbor Would Do

**Author's Note:**

  * For [afteriwake](https://archiveofourown.org/users/afteriwake/gifts).



> Based on an idea afteriwake gave me.

“Again! That’s it, good! Again!”

Jaime paused in the middle of putting a plate in the cabinet when the female voice filtered through the open kitchen window. He had just moved to Winterfell from his hometown of Casterly Rock for work a week ago and was still unpacking boxes, his prosthetic hand not nearly as much of a hindrance as his natural tendency to procrastinate. Moving to the window, he could see into his next-door neighbor’s open garage.

A dark-haired boy in his late teens was hitting a punching bag over and over while a tall blonde woman encouraged him. “You’re doing fine, Pod,” she said, grinning. “Remember to keep your wrists straight.”

“Yes, ma’am,” the kid said, grinning back.

The woman groaned. “I’m not a ‘ma’am.’”

His grin widened. “Miss?”

“Try ‘Aunt Brie.’”

“Uh huh.” The kid hit the bag once more then used both gloved hands to stop its swaying. “I need a break.”

 _That’s my cue,_ Jaime thought. He grabbed two sports drinks from the fridge then carried them out the door and over to the waist-high wooden fence separating the two properties. “How about a drink for the future heavyweight champion of the world and his trainer?” he asked, giving them his most charming grin as he held up the bottles.

“Pod” and “Brie” looked at each other then back at him warily. “You must be our new neighbor,” she said as she approached the fence.

His younger self would have found her face ugly, and even now, he would have called her plain except that there was something intriguing about her stubborn jaw, and certainly something alluring about her sapphire blue eyes. He smiled charmingly. “Yes, Jaime Lannister, just moved in last week.”

“I’m Brienne Tarth, this is my ‘nephew,’ Podrick Payne.”

“Second cousin once removed, actually,” Podrick said as he came to stand beside her. “But I was too young to understand that before, so she’s just Aunt Brie to me.” He took the bottle from Jaime’s good hand, thanked him, then went over to sit on their front stoop.

Jaime could feel the kid’s eyes on them but it just made him smile. _He’s protective of her._ Holding up the other bottle, his smile widened to a grin. “I promise I don’t bite until I know you better.”

Brienne rolled her eyes then took the bottle, sparing his hand a brief glance before she took off the top and took a sip. “Thank you,” she said, meeting his eyes, and he was struck again by how much beautiful hers were.

 _Not to mention that she’s got the longest, nicest legs I’ve ever seen._ “So … um … what did he mean by ‘before?’ Before what?”

“Before he came to live with me, after his parents died.” She looked away quickly but the sadness in her eyes was hard to miss.

“I’m sorry,” he said sincerely. “Losing anyone you love is tough and it must be hard raising a teenage boy alone.”

“Thank you.” She looked at his hand again, the sadness turning to sympathy. “May I ask-”

He smiled a bit. “I would like to be able to say it was lost defending my country but actually, it was after drinking all night then getting behind the wheel of a car. A dishonorable discharge later, my father got me the best prosthetic hand money could buy before promptly disowning me.”

“I’m sorry,” she said, sincerity shining in her eyes.

He wanted to drown in them. _Maybe I’ll get my chance._ “Thank you. So … how about I give you a chance to show me around town tonight?”

Brienne raised an eyebrow. “You mean … a date?”

“She says yes,” Pod said loudly and enthusiastically.

She turned to him, her cheeks pink. “Pod!”

Jaime chuckled. “I’ll pick you up at seven.”

Brienne turned back to him, her lovely eyes wide. “I don’t even have a dress.”

“Isn’t there a big mall not far from here?” he asked, not about to let her off the hook that easily.

“Kings Landing,” Pod said, grinning. “You can call Mrs. Clegane, Aunt Brie. She’ll help you, she loves to shop.”

“Sansa has better things to do right now, I’m sure,” Brienne protested, though it sounded weak to Jaime.

He chuckled. “You’re outnumbered, my lady, best surrender now.”

Brienne rolled her eyes again. “Fine.”

Jaime grinned. “You won’t regret it.” He said goodbye to the two of them then went back inside, feeling lighter-hearted than he had in years.

_I have a date!_


End file.
